cross the Channel?"

"I took the way you showed me. And is my disguise so very displeasing to
you?"

She had thrown off the ugly, disfiguring cape and stood before him in
a dark blue sailor's dress. Even in her dress as an Indian rajah he had
not thought her more enchanting.

"The only thing that displeases me is that other eyes than mine have
been allowed to see you in it. But you still owe me an explanation how
you got here?"

"With your messenger of love, your postillon d'amour, who was certainly
rather uncouth and awkward for so delicate a mission."

"What! did you come with Brandelaar?" cried Heideck, in surprise.

"Yes. The moment I received your letter from his clumsy sailor's fist,
my mind was made up. I asked him whether he was returning to Flushing,
and when he said yes, I declared he must take me with him, cost what
it would. I would have paid him all I possessed, without hesitation, to
take me across. But the good fellow did it for much less."

"You foolish girl!" said Heideck reprovingly. But pride in his
beautiful, fearless darling shone brightly from his eyes. "I shall have
to take Brandelaar seriously to task for playing so reckless a game. But
what made him so long in returning?"

"I believe he had all kinds of private business to see after. And he was
not the only one--I had my business too. I did not want to come to you
empty-handed, my friend."

"Empty-handed? I don't understand."

"I puzzled my brains how I could please you, and appease your anger at
my sudden appearance--that terrible anger, of which I felt so afraid.
And as I heard from Brandelaar that it is your duty to discover military
secrets--"

"The worthy Brandelaar is a chatterer. It seems as if your beautiful
eyes have tempted him to open his whole heart to you."

"And if it had been the case," she asked, with a roguish smile, "would
you not have every reason to be grateful to him as well as myself? But
really--you don't even know what I have brought for you. Aren't you the
least curious?"

"No military secret, I suppose?"

He spoke jestingly, but she nodded seriously.

"Yes--a great secret. Chance helped me, or I should hardly have got hold
of it. There it is! But be sure I shall claim an adequate reward for
it."

She handed him a sealed envelope, which she had kept concealed under her
dress. When Heideck, with growing excitement, spread out the paper it
contained, he recognised at the first glance the blue stamped p